Thomson Arthur S. 1859. The story of New Zealand. 2 vols. London, John Murray.
Food
Fernroot, 12 kinds of fungi, almost all seaweeds, forest fruits, nīkau palm shoots, Tutu berries used as a beverage.
Dyes
States that 6 plants used, but says that flax is placed in mud first, then into dye. Uses of flax (not detailed).
Medicinal
Vol I: pp.211-222. Description of Māori diseases and native cures. (Information earlier presented in the British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review 1854). Common diseases stated as fevers, consumption, indigestion, diarrhoea, eye and skin diseases, ulcers on bodies, scaldhead and ringworm , rheumatism, occasional leprosy, hernia. Infants - intestinal worms, croup, bowel complaints. "Scrofula is the curse of the New Zealand race" (Suggests disease due to post European diet of potatoes. Poor nutrition compared to taro, fernroot, kūmara.).
Diseases introduced by European recorded as sexual diseases, influenza(1884), whooping cough(1847), mumps(1851), measles, scarlet fever (1854). Heart disease infrequent.
Unknown, he states, were breast cancer, goitre, night blindness, cretinism, headaches, hydrophopia, bladder stones. Little suffering during parturition. Internal remedies: prayers, incantations, removal elsewhere.
External remedies: bark splints, flax bandages, hot poultices of leaves and roots for boils, bathing for skin diseases, rheumatism, lumbago. Irritating leaves applied.
Bibliographic details
The story of New Zealand